Many more men than women die each year in motor vehicle crashes. Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving practices including not using safety belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding. Crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers.
Li, G.; Baker, S.P.; Langlois, J.A.; and Kelen, G.D. 1998. Are female drivers safer? An application of the decomposition method. Epidemiology 9:379-84. However, females are more likely than males to be killed or injured in crashes of equal severity, although gender differences in fatality risk diminish with age.
Kahane, C.J. 2013. Injury vulnerability and effectiveness of occupant protection technologies for older occupants and women. Report no. DOT HS-811-766. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Data subsections:

Trends

For nearly every year from 1975 to 2017, the number of male crash deaths was more than twice the number of female crash deaths, but the gap has narrowed. From 1975 to 2017, male crash deaths declined by 19 percent and female crash deaths declined by 10 percent. Since 1975, motorcyclist deaths have increased by more than 150% among both males and females.

Number and percent of motor vehicle crash deaths by type and gender, 2017

Gender

Passenger vehicle drivers

Passenger vehicle passengers

Large truck drivers

Large truck passengers

Pedestrians

Bicyclists

Motorcyclists

Total motor vehicle deaths*

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Number

%

Male

12,500

71

2,949

49

419

99

35

81

4,177

70

687

88

4,724

91

26,380

71

Female

5,151

29

3,048

51

6

1

8

19

1,769

30

87

11

446

9

10,697

29

Total*

17,662

100

5,998

100

425

100

43

100

5,977

100

777

100

5,172

100

37,133

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Per capita passenger vehicle occupant death rates during 1975 to 2017 have been 1.8 to 2.6 times higher for males than for females. From 1975 to 2017, the rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people decreased 53 percent among males and 37 percent among females.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by gender, 1975-2017

Year

Male

Female

Total*

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

1975

105,365,965

21,841

20.7

110,607,234

8,755

7.9

215,973,199

30,601

14.2

1976

106,308,604

22,300

21.0

111,726,560

9,420

8.4

218,035,164

31,724

14.5

1977

107,334,548

22,806

21.2

112,904,877

10,015

8.9

220,239,425

32,823

14.9

1978

108,423,580

24,443

22.5

114,160,965

10,477

9.2

222,584,545

34,923

15.7

1979

109,583,961

24,772

22.6

115,471,526

10,252

8.9

225,055,487

35,026

15.6

1980

110,398,754

24,649

22.3

116,825,965

10,342

8.9

227,224,719

34,996

15.4

1981

111,502,912

23,667

21.2

117,962,696

10,038

8.5

229,465,608

33,711

14.7

1982

112,579,479

20,496

18.2

119,085,017

9,158

7.7

231,664,496

29,656

12.8

1983

113,646,987

19,720

17.4

120,144,916

9,430

7.8

233,791,903

29,154

12.5

1984

114,670,252

20,103

17.5

121,154,531

9,991

8.2

235,824,783

30,094

12.8

1985

115,729,577

19,826

17.1

122,194,155

10,016

8.2

237,923,732

29,848

12.5

1986

116,865,225

21,677

18.5

123,267,616

10,514

8.5

240,132,841

32,224

13.4

1987

117,960,907

21,986

18.6

124,328,116

11,148

9.0

242,289,023

33,145

13.7

1988

119,085,496

22,633

19.0

125,413,340

11,459

9.1

244,498,836

34,105

13.9

1989

120,277,490

21,897

18.2

126,541,629

11,693

9.2

246,819,119

33,599

13.6

1990

121,626,118

21,564

17.7

127,838,278

11,132

8.7

249,464,396

32,711

13.1

1991

122,956,043

20,151

16.4

129,197,049

10,651

8.2

252,153,092

30,810

12.2

1992

124,423,544

19,077

15.3

130,606,155

10,350

7.9

255,029,699

29,457

11.6

1993

125,787,805

19,360

15.4

131,994,803

10,622

8.0

257,782,608

29,994

11.6

1994

127,049,175

19,730

15.5

133,277,846

11,078

8.3

260,327,021

30,820

11.8

1995

128,293,712

20,443

15.9

134,509,564

11,452

8.5

262,803,276

31,914

12.1

1996

129,504,353

20,491

15.8

135,724,219

11,852

8.7

265,228,572

32,354

12.2

1997

130,783,107

20,316

15.5

137,000,500

12,010

8.8

267,783,607

32,343

12.1

1998

132,029,729

20,058

15.2

138,218,274

11,715

8.5

270,248,003

31,781

11.8

1999

133,276,559

20,347

15.3

139,414,254

11,654

8.4

272,690,813

32,008

11.7

2000

138,468,999

20,759

15.0

143,723,163

11,346

7.9

282,192,162

32,109

11.4

2001

140,012,615

20,747

14.8

145,089,460

11,187

7.7

285,102,075

31,938

11.2

2002

141,518,989

21,326

15.1

146,422,231

11,389

7.8

287,941,220

32,724

11.4

2003

143,024,340

20,810

14.5

147,764,636

11,354

7.7

290,788,976

32,166

11.1

2004

144,537,408

20,534

14.2

149,117,996

11,215

7.5

293,655,404

31,750

10.8

2005

145,999,746

20,550

14.1

150,410,658

10,898

7.2

296,410,404

31,455

10.6

2006

147,512,152

19,977

13.5

151,886,332

10,641

7.0

299,398,484

30,628

10.2

2007

148,658,898

19,198

12.9

152,962,259

9,952

6.5

301,621,157

29,155

9.7

2008

149,924,604

16,973

11.3

154,135,120

8,568

5.6

304,059,724

25,547

8.4

2009

151,449,490

15,376

10.2

155,557,060

8,126

5.2

307,006,550

23,507

7.7

2010

151,781,326

14,395

9.5

156,964,212

7,953

5.1

308,745,538

22,351

7.2

2011

153,290,819

13,928

9.1

158,301,098

7,478

4.7

311,591,917

21,413

6.9

2012

154,492,067

14,304

9.3

159,421,973

7,598

4.8

313,914,040

21,906

7.0

2013

155,651,602

13,913

8.9

160,477,237

7,442

4.6

316,128,839

21,361

6.8

2014

156,936,487

13,803

8.8

161,920,569

7,325

4.5

318,857,056

21,131

6.6

2015

158,229,297

14,852

9.4

163,189,523

7,878

4.8

321,418,820

22,741

7.1

2016

159,243,817

15,590

9.8

164,162,118

8,359

5.1

323,405,935

23,957

7.4

2017

160,408,119

15,488

9.7

165,311,059

8,208

5.0

325,719,178

23,708

7.3

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Age differences

The number of driver fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles driven in 2017 was 53 percent higher for males (2.3 per 100 million miles traveled) than for females (1.5 per 100 million miles traveled). Rates were substantially higher for males than for females ages 16-29, but were only slightly higher for ages 30 and older. The gender difference was largest among drivers ages 20-29.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 2018. [Unpublished analysis of 2017 data from the US Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the National Household Travel Survey]. Arlington, VA.

Fatal passenger vehicle crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled by driver age and gender, 2017

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

Crash involvements

Miles

Rate

16-19

1,975

28,711,488,889

6.9

951

27,820,712,715

3.4

2,928

56,532,201,604

5.2

20-29

7,028

170,742,504,374

4.1

3,198

179,598,445,819

1.8

10,228

350,340,950,193

2.9

30-59

12,822

714,252,987,485

1.8

6,103

506,466,191,124

1.2

18,930

1,220,719,178,608

1.6

60-69

2,912

187,863,100,577

1.6

1,344

123,480,084,793

1.1

4,256

311,343,185,370

1.4

≥70

2,998

94,113,904,284

3.2

1,474

59,978,841,007

2.5

4,472

154,092,745,291

2.9

Total*

27,841

1,196,092,936,622

2.3

13,110

897,894,287,336

1.5

41,221

2,093,987,223,959

2.0

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

In 2017, the rates of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people were much higher among males than among females for every age group except 0-15 years. Male passenger vehicle occupants 85 and older had the highest fatality rate, followed by males ages 80-84 and 20-24. Fatality rates were lowest among occupants 0-15 years old for both males and females.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by age and gender, 2017

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

Population

Deaths

Rate

0-15

33,267,990

484

1.5

31,868,122

448

1.4

65,136,112

932

1.4

16-19

8,701,682

1,179

13.5

8,315,418

655

7.9

17,017,100

1,835

10.8

20-24

11,349,142

2,004

17.7

10,769,493

934

8.7

22,118,635

2,939

13.3

25-29

11,902,230

1,740

14.6

11,468,230

734

6.4

23,370,460

2,474

10.6

30-34

11,089,131

1,333

12.0

10,883,081

573

5.3

21,972,212

1,907

8.7

35-39

10,615,985

1,181

11.1

10,616,012

473

4.5

21,231,997

1,654

7.8

40-44

9,753,115

900

9.2

9,890,258

487

4.9

19,643,373

1,388

7.1

45-49

10,386,175

938

9.0

10,587,683

480

4.5

20,973,858

1,419

6.8

50-54

10,520,182

978

9.3

10,880,912

480

4.4

21,401,094

1,458

6.8

55-59

10,700,520

998

9.3

11,307,436

507

4.5

22,007,956

1,505

6.8

60-64

9,557,283

890

9.3

10,430,419

462

4.4

19,987,702

1,352

6.8

65-69

7,929,868

671

8.5

8,906,513

413

4.6

16,836,381

1,084

6.4

70-74

5,947,272

607

10.2

6,899,793

400

5.8

12,847,065

1,007

7.8

75-79

3,898,816

553

14.2

4,842,445

411

8.5

8,741,261

964

11.0

80-84

2,509,059

475

18.9

3,456,231

332

9.6

5,965,290

807

13.5

≥85

2,279,669

537

23.6

4,189,013

407

9.7

6,468,682

944

14.6

Total

160,408,119

15,488

9.7

165,311,059

8,208

5.0

325,719,178

23,708

7.3

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Alcohol involvement

Each year from 1982 to 2017, the proportion of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent has been substantially higher for males than for females.